Viking River cruise boat quarantined in Cambodia

[bubbulz]

https://apple.news/AFkR4SKsvT8KLk94Qw9kcHw

 

Scores of passengers and crew aboard a river cruise boat are being held under quarantine in eastern Cambodia after a British passenger tested positive for the coronavirus.

The vessel belonging to Viking River Cruises is under police guard as it remains moored on the Mekong River outside the town of Kampong Cham.

Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bunheng on Wednesday visited the Kampong Cham provincial hospital, where the 65-year-old woman from the United Kingdom is being held for observation and treatment. The woman is Cambodia's third confirmed case.

Mam Bunheng said late Tuesday that the remaining 63 passengers and crew aboard would be tested and quarantined for 14 days. Four other passengers from the U.K. have already been tested with negative results.

The luxury cruise originated in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and visited the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, before arriving at Kampong Cham.

[laverendrye]

I am not surprised. This was bound to happen there sooner or later.

 

I am booked on an Emerald Cruise tour from Hanoi to Siem Reap at the end of this month.  I haven't yet cancelled as I am waiting for Emerald/Scenic to change their very restrictive cancellation policy, but I have no intention of taking the risks of going.

 

I've travelled in Cambodia before and have been following the news regarding coronavirus there closely. It must be understood that Cambodia is essentially a vassal state to China and the Cambodian dictator, Hun Sen, has misguidedly attempted to please his Chinese masters through obfuscation and denial (while ironically, the Chinese have been much more open and effective in dealing with the epidemic). Sadly, he is not the only world political leader using the epidemic to try to boost his personal and political image. This article gives a sense of the politics of the situation:

 

https://thediplomat.com/2020/02/hun-sens-political-gamble-the-coronavirus-epidemic/

 

I suspect that there are many more cases of COVID-19 in Cambodia than the government admits and at the best of times its medical facilities are rudimentary as the following advice from the Government of Canada indicates:

 

With the exception of some Thai-run hospitals in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, medical facilities throughout Cambodia are extremely poor and very limited.

Doctors and hospitals may demand cash payment or written guarantees from insurance providers in advance for health services.

Medical evacuation to Thailand or Singapore is often required in order to obtain adequate treatment. Seek immediate assistance in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap and consider leaving the country if you experience medical problems.

 

Those who may still be thinking of travelling on a cruise in Cambodia should give it careful reconsideration.

[Squawkman]

For those interested, here's the detailed story with pictures from the Daily Mail:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8099247/Dozens-passengers-held-quarantine-Cambodian-river-cruise-boat.html